TOWN centre staff are being trained so they know exactly what to do in the event of a terrorist threat in Woking.

Woking Town Centre Management (TCM) has teamed up with Surrey Police to deliver free workshops to train staff in counter-terrorism.

Participants will be shown model bombs and told what signs to look for with potential terrorist activity.

This is the first time town centre staff have had the opportunity to learn more about the issue.

Four workshops ran yesterday (Wednesday) and today, and more than 100 members of staff, including those from Woking library, McDonalds and Christ Church, took part in them.

Town centre manager Joanne Walker said: “This has not been done before in Woking and it is being led by Surrey Police.

“It involves everyone from car park attendants to cashiers and it will help make them aware of any obvious strange behaviour and give them the training and confidence to decide whether they are right or wrong.

“It will help them know what to do if there is something suspicious.”

Mrs Walker said the police had funded the training and TCM provided the venue at the town’s gallery and museum, The Lightbox. She talked about a bomb scare in The Peacocks in July when a bag of discarded food brought the town centre to a halt.

Mrs Walker said: “People didn’t know what to do, what to look for or how to assess the situation.

“After this training, they will know what to look for. It is a great opportunity for Woking.”

The training will help to prevent any terrorist activity in the town and has been named Project Griffin. The tactical training will be split into three parts.

The first part will be led by police counter-terrorist advisers and special branch officers who will discuss the psychology behind terrorist activity and what to look for and what makes a person or a package suspicious.

The model bombs will help to show the make-up of real ones. The effects of bombs will also be discussed. The final part of the training will focus on correct incident procedure.

Tony Gower, manager at Ceramic Tile Distribution in Goldsworth Road, is sending a member of his staff for the training.

He said: “It was extremely good to be invited to the event of this nature, especially in the current economic climate. If anything, the project helps to promote awareness in all of us.”